Detergent dispensing apparatus



Oct. 22, 1968 R. 1 PERL 3,406,695

DETERGENT DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed OCT.. 27, 1966 4 INVENTOR RICHARD L. PERI.

jf-f' i BY 05%!@mgmwzy ATTORNEYS United States Patent() 3,406,695 DETERGENT DISPENSING APPARATUS Richard L. Perl, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Tappan Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 590,062 2 Claims. (Cl. 134-58) This invention relates to apparatus for supplying or dispensing granular detergent in a dishwasher and the like having an automatically controlled operating cycle with at least two washing stages each callingfor the supply of a charge of the detergent. y The machine cycle in a simple version can, for example, commence with a first .washing operation in which a quantity of the detergent previously placed in the machine is utilized and Aproceed through a rinse stage to a second washing operation also attended by discharge of detergent and followed by a further rinse. The apparatus of the present invention will effect suchdispensing by the storing of separate charges of the granules isolated from each other and normally as well from the interior of the machine and releasing the charges with forcible flushing action respectively at the selected points in the cycle in accordance with thescheduling of the timer or sequence controller.

, The fiushing type of discharge, which is preferred for efiicient and full dispensing in the sense of self-cleaning, is most fconveniently accomplished by diverting water from the output of the circulating pump of the machine to the enclosure or enclosures in which the detergent charge or charges are stored, 1and the present improvements provide a very simpleand economical system for usingthis water to accomplish the desired programmed multiple charge dispensing. v

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

AtTo the accomplishment of the foregoing and'related ends the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawf ing setting forth in detail acertain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. l is a front elevation of an automatic dishwasher equipped with detergent dispensing apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows on an enlarged scale a portion of the door of the dishwasher in which the dispensing apparatus and the timer of the machine are housed; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the plane of which is indicated by line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the dishwasher designated generally by reference numeral 10 is, apart from the dispensing apparatus to be described, conventional in form and operation. This illustrative machine is of the front-loading type, with the tub open at the front and normally closed by a door 11 hinged at the bottom and having a top handle portion 12. The door of course swings between the closed vertical condition to a substantially horizontal open position and, in the latter condition, wholly or partially supports the rack structure for the ware when withdrawn from the tub onto the door.

rThe base of the machine is shown slightly broken away to expose a conventional circulating pump P below the tub and this pump has an outlet section 13 to which a small fiexible hose 14 is connected and extends in any suitable fashion to the interior of the front door. The latter also contains the timer or sequence controller 15 of the machine, with an operating knob 16 at the exterior of 3,406,695 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 the door and the shaft 17 of the unit carrying an inner cam 18 which turns with the shaft. f i

The hose 14 within the door is connected to a horizontal T-coupling or connector 19, with one extension hose length 20 continuing from the straight portion of the connector and another extension 21 connected to the right angle section. The hose 21 extends upwardly and is connected at its other end with a first detergent container 22 attached to the inner liner 23 of the door. This container, preferably made of plastic, is open at one side and mounted .as shown so that this side is approximately flush with the inside surface of the door, the main portion being received within the door and closed except for the small side wall opening at which the hose 21 is connected. The open side of the container is closed by a cover 24 hinged as shown at 2,5 to the upper edge of the container in the vertical or closed condition of the door, and this cover is preferably biased to the closed condition. For this last purpose, the container is shown as carrying a permanent magnet 26 centrally at the bottom edge and a cooperable magnet piece 27 is carried by the bottom edge of the cover 24.

The other hose extension 20 extends from the coupling upwardly to a guide shoe 28 in the area of the timer 15, the hose being guided over the top of the shoe and then continuing reversely down within the door to a second detergent container 22 which is identical to the first as shown by the use of primed reference numerals. This second container 22', also having its hose connection at a side wall, is arranged for convenience next to the first, but the two are physically and operably independent. It would of course be possible to have a common main container suitably divided into isolated compartments each with its own cover should this be a more convenient manufacture.

The flow of water through the hose 20 to the second container 22 is controlled by the timer 15 by virtue of the cam 18 on the timer shaft 17 and a cooperable leaf spring 29 mounted by a bracket 30 to extend above the hose 20 at the uppermost portion of the latter backed by the shoe 28. The spring 29 has an intermediate rebent section 31 which is held normally by the spring tension against the noted section of the hose 20, with an arcuate arm 32 of the cam 18 bearing against the spring in this condition to insure clamping of such hose in the manner of a pinch valve. The timer cam 18 when rotated will thus restrain the spring 29 against lifting as long as the arm 32 is in engagement therewith, and when the arm moves off the spring at the proper point in the operating cycle for opening of the hose 20, the water supplied thereto expands the hose, lifting the spring, and proceeds to the second detergent compartment or container 22.

Before starting the machine cycle, both compartments 22 and 22' are filled with the granular detergent or the equivalent conveniently when the door is in the substan tially horizontal open condition, with the housewife or user simply lifting each cover 24, 24 and pouring the compound in the compartment. When the door is closed, these covers shield and protect the detergent from the interior of the machine.

It will be noted that there are accordingly provided two flushing detergent dispensers each equipped with a water delivery line, but with only one under positive valve control. When the circulating pump P is first operative, for example, in a first wash stage, the diverted water in the line 14 will flow to both the hoses 20 and 21 through the T-connector 19. However, the hose 20 is closed at and by the spring 29 so that the water will enter only the first detergent compartment 22 through the line or hose 21. The pressure injection of the water in this compartment causes mixing with the granules of the detergent and, after a degree of pressure build-up, the magnetic latch biason the cover- 24'` is overcome'and the-cover swings outwardly"or-inwardlyfor' dischargeof the v'walter 'fand detergentsolutiom-comparable action could ofcourse be obtainedwith other biasing of the cover, for example, by spring means. f

" l' When,"in the typical" cycle, th'esecond' washing 'opera- `tion vissubsequently scheduled, the 'timer will turn the'c'am -results invery little dischargejthrough this hose. The

waiterY flovifthrough theist'raighf section of the 'connector andhence-the"i hose i 20 encounters negligible resistance, while 'there is 'a substantial loss of=t-he velocityfhea'd in the branched line 21,Whereby' substantially' all of the flow entesthe compartment 2.2 to' mix` with and hush the detergent charge 'therein' into the washing chamber. ASsindicated, the timer 'camming of the`springV 29 will be suic'ient'by'reason f the'conguration'used to hold the spring awayfroin thehose`20 long enough to insure'full discharge vor dispensing from this compartment, the cam thereafter moving beyond the limit of the spring engagement and the spring returning to its normal hose-pinching condition. While only two compartments have been shown, more can be added with comparable valve control for each, the number of local valving actions however being one less than the number of the dispensing operations in view of manner in which the lrst is provided by the disclosed system.

' Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, changebeing made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a dishwasher and the like in which a series of operations are performed automatically under the control of timing means, 'with at least two washing operations provided, detergent dispensing apparatus for 'supplying separate charges of detergent to the washing chamber respectively for the two such washing operations, said apparatus comprising rst and second non-communicating compartments each adapted to receive a charge o f the *f4 ciletengent, means for normally shielding 'the chargesv placed in'isaid compartmer'l-'t's-f'front-'the circulation-of :water 'throughout thel washing chamber, and discharge means for flushing the deter'g'eirtcharg'esfrom the compartments to th'zchamber, vthe dishwasher having'a pump and said dirscharge means comprising a length of relatively'smll hose' connected to the'outlet 'side of ,the pump 4and to one 'sideof "the'fthro'ghpassa'ge' of af'Tttingg a '-'rst rhexiblehos'e' branch'conriectedfto the leg'fof said fitting and to said r'st compartment at`a'1wallv y'opening'in the latter, a second flexible hosebraich connected to' the' other side ofthe straight' passage ofthe"tti1ig andto the second compartment likewise at `awall opening therein, and pinch'valvefmeansffor controlling how' of Vwater 'through 'the second -hosev branch," said valve means 'normally holdingithef'second branch closed and being opened'by the timing rneans when Ythe latter 'initiates the secondto occur of {the two washingr'sopetiofs, the fiowof wate'rl`forn thefpump through the -first hosebranch being obstructed only'by the direction change encountered in the T-ittin'g, with the'pump'operative in both washing operations" to supply waterto :flush deterg'e'nt'from fthe first vcorripartment only in 'the rst scheduled such operation and to flush the detergent from 'the second compartment up'on opening of the pinch valve in the subsequent washing operation, and the resulting loss of' head inthe leg ofthe T-tting with the straight passage thereof thus open Ysuch that there is only minor ilowin the iirst hose branch in such 1a`st` c'ondition ofthe apparatus."

2.' Appartaus as' set forth in claim 1, wherein the means `for normally shielding'the st'and second compartments comprises' separate closures at openingsl through which the flush 5discharging of the Ydetergent: chargesv ocurs'with said closures biased `to their respectiveV compartmentclosing'conditions'and opening in'response 'to theinjection of thewater under pressure tothe compartments.

References Cited UNITED l STATES PATENTS I ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DISHWASHER AND THE LIKE IN WHICH A SERIES OF OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED AUTOMATICALLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF TIMING MEANS, WITH AT LEAST TWO WASHING OPERATIONS PROVIDED, DETERGENT DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING SEPARATE CHARGES OF DETERGENT TO THE WASHING CHAMBER RESPECTIVELY FOR THE TWO SUCH WASHING OPERATIONS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND NON-COMMUNICATING COMPARTMENTS EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CHARGE OF THE DETERGENT, MEANS FOR NORMALLY SHIELDING THE CHARGES PLACED IN SAID COMPARTMENTS FROM THE CIRCULATIONS OF WATER ATHROUGHOUT THE WASHING CHAMBER AND DISCHARGE MEANS FOR FLUSHING THE DETERGENT CHARGES FROM THE COMPARTMENTS TO THE CHAMBER, THE DISHWASHER HAVING A PUMP AND SAID DISCHARGE MEANS COMPRISING A LENGTH OF RELATIVELY SMALL HOSE CONNECTED TO THE OUTLET SIDE OF THE PUMP AND TO ONE SIDE OF THE THROUGH PASSAGE OF A T-FITTING, A FIRST FLEXIBLE HOSE BRANCH CONNECTED TO THE LEG OF SAID FITTING AND TO SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT AT A WALL OPENING IN THE LATTER, A SECOND FLEXIBLE HOSE BRANCH CONNECTED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STRAIGHT PASSAGE OF THE FITTING AND TO THE SECOND COMPARTMENT LIKEWISE AT A WALL OPENING THEREIN, AND PINCH VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF WATER THROUGH THE SECOND HOSE BRANCH, SAID VALVE MEANS NORMALLY HOLDING THE SECOND BRANCH CLOSED AND BEING OPENED BY THE TIMING MEANS WHEN THE LATTER INITIATES THE SECOND TO OCCUR OF THE TWO WASHING OPERATIONS, THE FLOW OF WATER FROM THE PUMP THROUGH THE FIRST HOSE BRANCH BEING OBSTRUCTED ONLY BY THE DIRECTION CHANGE ENCOUNTERED IN THE T-FITTING, WITH THE PUMP OPERATIVE IN BOTH WASHING OPERATIONS TO SUPPLY WATER TO FLUSH DETERGENT FROM THE FIRST COMPARTMENT ONLY IN THE FIRST SCHEDULED SUCH OPERATION AND TO FLUSH THE DETERGENT FROM THE SECOND COMPARTMENT UPON OPENING OF THE PINCH VALVE IN THE SUBSEQUENT WASHING OPERATION, AND THE RESULTING LOSS OF HEAD IN THE LEG OF THE T-FITTING WITH THE STRAIGHT PASSAGE THEREOF THUS OPEN SUCH THAT THERE IS ONLY MINOR FLOW IN THE FIRST HOSE BRANCH IN SUCH LAST CONDITION OF THE APPARATUS. 